The life and times of number 237
by Shien Shao
Summary: The age of cloning has come. After a sabotage, the only living clone left is trying to become the girl she was supposed to be. But who is she really? And why is she destined to live a life not her own, though it really is. Does this clone have a soul?
1. A fresh start

Sooo..I've got this new idea.read!  
  
The world today is full of amazing technological advances. There are synthetic robots designed and made for the purpose of humdrum household tasks, self-steering cars...People have even gone as far as to invent a chemical given to animals, allowing the physical capability of speech. There is a hint of a cure for cancer. All these miracles and breakthroughs, but scientists have yet to master the complicated art of cloning. Extensive tests run on animals show a successful byproduct, able to maintain a steady living balance and able to reproduce without harmful effects on the offspring. But a renegade scientist with an idea gives a new service. If he could clone the DNA of a person, he would be rich. Somehow, he found a corporation that took interest in his ideas.  
  
Accidents happen, and people die before their time. The family misses them, right? Maybe almost enough to do anything to get them back. Well, here was the idea:  
  
The family of the deceased would submit an article of the late that contained DNA (hair, fingernails, blood, etc.) , and a hefty sum of money of course, and the scientists could clone the DNA, eliminating the imperfections of the body(like the deformities, bacteria, viruses, cancer- prone cells), and they could even tamper with the genetics, giving the clone the behavioral characteristics specified by the family...  
  
And, Voila! The family would have their beloved back, and they could continue living as though no accident happened, no disease struck.  
  
Sounds ethical?  
  
There's a problem.  
  
Subjects.  
  
With all the humanitarian laws passed so far, the government would not allow this to happen.  
  
The company needed to research though, and the idea was of good intentions, so why not proceed?  
  
So, secretly, the company offered a payable sum to any families willing to reanimate their dead family member's memory by submitting the DNA needed to run the tests.  
  
Under ideal laboratory conditions, the fetus would grow extremely quickly, though it would be as healthy as the original should have been.  
  
(A/N: so it's kinda like that cloning production on the planet of Kamino in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones)  
  
Depending on how old you wanted the clone to be, its growth would be rapid, and at the destination age, the aging effects would slow to that of a normal human. But the process was very dramatic, so only the wealthiest of families could afford the expense.  
  
One family, in particular, had a girl. She was the only girl in the entire family, (immediate and extended) who could carry on the family line. It was like a Shakespearean play.  
  
The girl got involved in a terrible car accident. She did not manage to walk away scot-free. In fact, she did not manage to walk away at all. The airbag of the car hit her ribs with an impounding force, and thrust them back to pierce her heart. She died on impact.  
  
The family, of course was devastated to hear about the news.  
  
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Three agonizing months passed by, with the entire family still in the midst of grief and pain, when they heard about this revolutionary new type of science.  
  
As soon as possible, the family decided to retrieve a pint of blood from the hospital her body was sent to, (though I don't know why she was sent to the hospital, as dead people belong in morgues) and contact this secret testing facility.  
  
All plans went accordingly.  
  
The scientists immediately set to work on the DNA samples the family had given them, besides a few others.  
  
As the family became more interested in the project, more and more characteristics were altered. She was to be obedient, loyal, and much more beautiful than the first.  
  
Everything seemed fine as the fetus grew to an infant, infant to toddler, and toddler to child.  
  
But outside the lab coats and white walls, there was furious protesting.  
  
This "secret" project had somehow leaked out into the public, gaining strength and bubbling into rage over religious concepts. How could they defile God's plans like that? Who did they think they were?  
  
A spy infiltrated the facility, laden with microscopic killers. The bacteria was sent through the air vents, and was intentionally only harmful to weak immune systems, such as those of children.  
  
A few days after the infiltration, the clones became ill.  
  
Seriously ill.  
  
The scientists watched all that they worked for collapse to the ground with lungs eaten away by voracious bacteria.  
  
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It turned out that all of the clones died, and also a worker with advanced asthma kicked the bucket.  
  
Well, almost all the clones.  
  
One little girl survived. Incredibly, the bacteria had no effect on her. But, it did manage to somehow get into her bloodstream. But all it did was eat away the dominant gene that made up her eye color. Her eyes were now a pale blue, and already, they had seen more suffering around them that they could take.  
  
She was a prodigy. A Japanese child with those eyes? The only surviving clone?  
  
Why didn't she die, with all the other weak clones?  
  
It was a mystery, and always had been.  
  
Well, I suppose what you've been reading is just a sort of prologue, albeit a boring one.  
  
Okay! Does anyone at all like this idea? Yes, no, maybe?  
  
I have a bunch of neat ideas for this story, and I really hope you would like for me to continue. Review, and tell me what you think about it.  
  
I promise It'll be much more interesting in the next chapter.  
  
Hey, if you feel fluffy inside, let me know and I might throw in a little romance. (Or a lot. Knowing myself, I might as well be made of cotton candy. ;) 


	2. The beginning of my life

Thank you to :  
  
Marie, Kitten05, Hellkeeper, Star Weaver, Girl-who-sings-the-blues, and pruningshears for reviewing!  
  
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"Okay then Kikyo! Are you ready to meet your new family?"  
  
A 16 year old girl nodded warily.  
  
The tall woman with glasses escorted the girl out to the waiting room, where her 'presumed' family sat, anxiously waiting her arrival.  
  
It had all been like a dream. Living in a building with nothing in it, growing up in the absence of toys and other children, and constantly being tested.  
  
Since the cloning program was still in beta, scientists needed to make sure that all of the genes and data that was Kikyo would be the same in this little girl.  
  
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A young girl sat on the ground, with a white tablecloth in front of her. She looked ahead, and could see a door, and two large mirrors on either side of the door. She looked around. She felt like the room: alone and empty. Where did those nice men go? There!  
  
One pushed open the door and flashed a smile at her. She waved in response.  
  
He was carrying a large tea tray, with different kinds of foods and a pitcher in it.  
  
"What are we going to play today Sano?" The girl inquired.  
  
"I'm going to eat lunch with you. Are you hungry?"  
  
She nodded, her eye catching the King's feast.  
  
She had been taught that it was rude to move without the permission of an adult, so she stayed as still as a blade of grass, while Sano busied himself with setting all of the food onto the tablecloth, grouping the foods by threes.  
  
She watched eagerly, waiting for his permission.  
  
In her hunger, she forgot herself and burst out suddenly: "Oh please Sano! May I have some?" Instantly, she realized her mistake, and winced. He laughed.  
  
"Not yet Kikyo."  
  
Sano chuckled as he finished with the food, putting tiny pieces of paper next to each food, and marking them.  
  
Finally, he sat down and looked at her carefully.  
  
"Kikyo. I'm going to give you a food, you eat a little of it-look at me-and you tell me if you like it or not. Okay?"  
  
She frowned. "Why only a little? I'm so hungry!"  
  
He was silent for a moment, and then it brightened. "Save some for your guardian spirit. I'm sure he would like to have some too. You have to share."  
  
Kikyo nodded wisely.  
  
"Yes Sano."  
  
Sano was always talking about her 'guardian spirit'. He talked of him as if he were a being of great stature, and always told Kikyo to be mindful of his importance, because it was he who had given her life.  
  
No one ever told Kikyo she was the product of a cold test tube and a drop of blood. She had always believed she was an orphan, sent to live in this quiet "house" because of her exceptional beauty.  
  
She was always very flattered to hear that she was beautiful.  
  
"Now Kikyo, have some of this..."  
  
Sano handed her a sandwich, and she took a small bite, keeping in mind to save some for her spirit. She chewed quickly, and swallowed.  
  
"Did you like it?"  
  
Kikyo nodded.  
  
"Alright, now try this..."  
  
Afterwards, Sano gave her many different foods to try, some she liked, and some she didn't. Every little reaction she made was recorded in detail by the men standing behind the mirrors.  
  
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After a few years of testing, the scientists concluded that this clone was the exact copy of Kikyo in every way, even down to the last memory cell.  
  
Her excelled growth rate gave her a childhood that lasted only one year, and when she neared the age of sixteen (the age of the previous Kikyo), the scientists injected a non-harmful chemical into her system to slow the growth hormones down to that of a normal teenager.  
  
She was now ready to present to her family.  
  
So now here she was, listening to the tall woman's heels clicking echo against the tile flooring. So many thoughts raced through her nervous mind. Were they going to accept her? What were they like?  
  
A part of her felt overjoyed to see her family. She could remember things that didn't even happen, and this confused her greatly. She had once asked Sano about these odd visions, and he had insisted that she was born again, and that her guardian spirit had led her to her family, and all those visions were from a past life.  
  
She accepted this, since she didn't know how else to explain it.  
  
The two females came to a pair of aluminum doors.  
  
Behind these doors would decide Kikyo's entire future. Silently, she closed her eyes and thanked her guardian spirit for allowing her to meet her family again.  
  
Sensing the tension, the blonde woman looked back and smiled at her.  
  
"Have a happy life!"  
  
She pushed the doors open, and what lay behind those doors were now Kikyo's destiny.  
  
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There was a ghostly silence, as Kikyo was accustomed to, and then there was something completely new.  
  
Joy.  
  
All at once, all the family that had come to greet her jostled and fought for her attention. There was hugging, kissing, laughter in tears, and so much wonderful noise!  
  
When the initial shock quieted, the inspection began.  
  
Sano must have been right about those visions, because Kikyo knew every single face that peered at her happily, and every single story behind them.  
  
Mother. Father. Uncle. Aunt. Cousin.  
  
She knew them all.  
  
For the first time in this little clone's life, she felt truly loved.  
  
....  
  
After the bacterial wipeout, the scientists had informed the family of the effects on Kikyo, and repeatedly told them their little girl was just fine, although her eyes were a startling blue-gray, contrary to the brown eyes the original Kikyo had.  
  
A bit dismayed, the family accepted that Kikyo would have blue eyes.  
  
Already knowing this fact, they showed no surprise to the loving eyes that stared back at them. Now, everyone could live their lives as if nothing had happened.  
  
All in all, the cloning had been successful.  
  
A woman with kind eyes and dark hair laughed at Kikyo, with tears in her eyes. "You've finally come back."  
  
Remembering her guardian spirit, Kikyo nodded happily.  
  
Kikyo saw that her mother had worn her favorite old coat, with the hems fraying and the seams stretching.  
  
Kikyo suddenly reached into her mom's side pocket, and pulled out the little box of tic-tacs she knew that would be there. Orange. Her favorite.  
  
"I can see the tiredness in your eyes dear, let's go home and make-"  
  
"-German double chocolate cake!"  
  
The words seemed to pop out on their own. Somehow, Kikyo knew that her and her mother always baked cakes together, and that German chocolate cake with extra chocolate was her favorite.  
  
As all of the group gathered their purses and jackets, they prepared to leave.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
But no sooner had they stepped towards the door, when the blonde woman came forward quickly and asked for all of the adults to join her for a small discussion.  
  
They moved towards the corner of the room, huddled in low whispers, while all of the children talked and played, and Kikyo explained to them the whole idea of guardian spirits and what hers had done for her.  
  
"Now, I ask all of you to observe her mannerisms when she is around you, and please record any information on sudden character transformations, and odd behavior. Since the program is relatively new, there still may be some errors. We ask of you to send a monthly report on her progress, just for reference on future attempts. And please, please, never tell her she is a clone! She has this little story about a 'guardian spirit', and that's all she knows, so play along with it. The knowledge of her being who she is could seriously upset her brainwaves. We thank you for this opportunity, and may grace be upon you."  
  
After her speech, the blonde woman waved to the children, and then departed back into the depths of the building.  
  
Then, the family left, and Kikyo took her fist step into the world she had only experienced in her memories.  
  
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Well? What did you think? It's kind of lame at the moment, but introductions always are. I hope I won't abandon this story, because it's starting to grow on me. I need encouragement (negative or positive) to continue. So please review? I think the chapters will get progressively longer, but they will be at least a week in between. So, if you want to be informed when I update, tell me you want to be added to a mailing list, and leave your email address, and I'll do my best.  
  
Thanx! 


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